NHRC seeks report on ‘open-air’ autopsies in MP

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government, days after HT reported that a ruin was doubling up as a mortuary for the local gover nment hospital where doctors were conducting open-air autopsies in Sagar district’s Garhakota.

The NHRC issued a notice to the principal secretary (health) of the government of Madhya Pradesh, asking him to submit a detailed report on the matter within four weeks, a statement said.

HT had reported that the hospital was located in a residential area whose inhabitants saw post-mortems being conducted from their rooftops and had been living with the unbearable stench of dead flesh for three years, ever since the mortuary building collapsed.

The hospital authorities allegedly did not take any action despite repeated complaints by residents in the past.

“The residents do not go on the roof top for the fear of seeing the bodies being cut open and internal organs hanging out. The foul smell of rotting flesh hangs in the air. Stray dogs and pigs bring out human body parts,” the NHRC statement said Friday.

The hospital was earlier set to expedite the construction of a post-mortem ward on directions of Sagar district collector Yogendra Sharma who acknowledged the HT report.

Sharma also instructed the hospital authorities to install a temporary shed to cover the ‘open-air mortuary’ till the construction of the special post-mortem was completed. The shed could be seen in place at the facility on Tuesday.